Process of packaging commodities



2 Sheets-Sheet l pear.

Inventor;

ffitor-negs.

Lambert E S March 20, 1934. L. E. SPEAR PROCESS OF PACKAGING COMMODITIES Filed March 10, 1932 Fig-1 March 20, 1934. 1 E, SPEAR 1,951,567

PROCESS OF PACKAGING COMMODITIES Filed March 10, 1932 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor-1 ert E. Spear.

ffir'l'or-neys.

Lamb

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to processes ofpackaging commodities. An object of the invention is to provide for completely enclosing the commodity with sheet material which will not contaminate the commodity and which will make a moistureproof and airtight covering therefor. Heretofore in packaging commodities, such as cheese, butter, ice cream, peanut butter and other food products, and other commodities such as smoking tobacco, etc., it has been customary to surround the commodity with sheet material which is of such character as to be easily folded and pressed into place, but which is not moistureproof nor airtight and which is not of such character as to insure against contamination of the enclosed commodity. A notable example of such material is tinfoil. This material is very malleable and non-resilientand, when folded or pressed into position around the commodity, will retain such position and not tend to return to its unfolded position. However, in manufacturing the tinfoil in sheet form by beating or pressing it, such material is made quite thin and contains air holes, so that the package for which it is used is neither airtight nor moisture-proof. Furthermore, the tinfoil is easily torn and scratched, and even when lined with paper is apt to come into contact with the enclosed commodity and contaminate the same. Entrance is also permitted in that way for the passage of contamination from outside sources.

I am aware of the fact that it is customary to package butter in paper which has been soaked in salt solution, but such covering is not airtight. Therefore, when such packages are subjected to refrigeration the commodity becomes dehydrated and loses weight, which result is very undesirable, since the laws require that a standard weight be maintained for packaged commodities. In order to compensate for such loss in weight, it is customary for the manufacturer to make the package heavier than the standard weight, and this, of course, cuts down his profits. I am also aware of the fact that it is customary to package commodities such as food products in glass receptacles, but such receptacles are expensive and have no resiliency and are subject to breakage. They are molded directly into the form of receptacles from glass-making materials and are not first made into sheets. Furthermore, due to the fact that such receptacles are made of rigid material instead of resilient ma-.

terial, the problem of providing them with airtight covers or seals is entirely different from the problem of providing the resilient material which I employ with an airtight seal.

As distinguished from the methods of packaging commodities above referred to, I propose to completely enclose the commodity with material 00 such as cellophane or other non-malleable and resilient material of a similar nature, which, as at present made, consists of a. nitrated cellulose product. Such material is inert in relation to commodities such as food products and does not have any contaminating effect whatever when it comes into contact with 'a food product, as is the case with tinfoiL' Furthermore, such material is tough, durable, no,t readily ruptured, and makes a moisture-proof and air-tight enclosure if a perfect seal is obtained. The problem which I have solved is the production of a seal of this character in combination with effectively placing the material around the commodity. Such material being resilient or non-malleable, unlike tinfoil in this respect, cannot be placed around the commodity by a simple process of folding, or pressing, as is the case with malleable or non-resilient material such as tinfoil and paper. Therefore, a special object of this invention is to provide a process the performance of which will result in packaging the commodity in an enclosure of cellophane or similar material in a moisture-proof, airtight and sanitary manner.

The full objects and advantages of my inven tion will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof, and the novel features of my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

Inthe accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical manner of carrying out my invention,---

.Fig. l is a plan view of a disc of resilient or non-malleable material. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a smaller disc of similar material. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a channeled malleable ring which I propose to use in making the seal. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view showing the disc of Fig. l as it is about to be pressed or crimped into cup form. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view showing the cup which has been formed from the disc. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, is a sectional elevational view showing the upper edge of the cup turned outwardly. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational view showing the upper edge of the cup turned downi all! 10 of resilient or non-malleable sheet material.

shown in Fig.1, and a smaller disc 12 of the same or similar sheet material shown inFig. 2. I also provide a channel ring 14, shown in Fig. 3, which consists of metal or other malleable material which can be readily crimped so as to have a clamping action. In order to utilize the disc 10 as a container, I shape it into the form of a cup.

"shown as having a bottom 18 which is capable of :being moved upwardly into the mold. A plunger 20 is provided for cooperation with the mold, this plunger being so shaped that when forced into the mold together with the material of the disc '10 it will be only slightly spaced from the entire interior surface of the mold. The plunger 20 may be operated by a rod 22 attached thereto, and toward its upper end the plunger is provided with a plurality of circumferentially-positioned fingers 24 which are normally'retracted into the plunger but may be projected therefrom by means of a push rod 26. Y l

The mold 16 is surrounded by a casting 28 which is slidable longitudinally with relation thereto. Toward its upper end this casting is provided with an outwardly-bulged portion 30 which adjacent its upper end carries an inwardly-projecting wiper flange 32. The upper end of the casting 28 carries an annular member 34 upon which the disc 10. is accurately centered with relation to the mold 16, as shown in Fig. 4. The plunger 20 is then forced down into. the mold so that the disc is shaped into a permanent cup 36, as shown in Fig. 5, by means of a multiplicity of flutings formed in the sheet material. It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the disc 10 from which the cup 36 is formed is of sufficient size so that the upper margin of the cup projects above the thin upper edge of the mold 16. The fingers 24 are then projected from the plunger in order to turn the upper margin of the cup over the upper edge of the:

mold, as shown in Fig. 6. The fingers 24 are then retracted. However, before they are completely retracted the casting 28 is moved downwardly so that the wiping flange 32 comes into engagement with the outwardly-turned flipper edge of the cup and prevents it from returning by its resiliency into its former position. The downward movement of the casting 28 is continued as the fingers 24 are retracted, so that the flange 32 turns the upper edge of the cup downwardly in engagement with the outer surface of the upper edge of the mold, as shown in Pig. 7. The downward movement of the flange 32 is obviously stopped before this flange is given an pp tunity to pass off the down-turned edge of the cup. The plunger 20 is removed from the mold and the proper quantity of the commodity .C is then placed inthe cup 36, and the smaller disc 12 is placed on the annular member 34 which is provided with a circular shoulder to accurate- 1? center the disc with relation to the cup 36.

These last-mentioned operations will be clear from Fig. 7.

The channel ring 14 is placed with its open side resting on the disc 12 in alinement with the upper edge of the mold, and this ring is forced downwardly, thereby forcing the disc 12 downwardly and causing its periphery to be folded over the folded upper edge of the cup, as shown in Fig. 8. Itis to b noted that the upper margin of the mold 16 is provided with a plurality of notches 38, as best shown in Fig. 4, and one of which appears in Fig. 9. At the places of these notches the ring 14 is-crimped firmly into engagement with the enclosed folded edge of the disc 12, which in turn encloses the folded edge of the cup 36. As shown in Fig. 10, the package thus produced is partly lifted from the mold by raising the movable bottom 18 of the mold, and the ring 14 is crimped all the way around so that the edge of the disc 12 and the edge of the cup 36 are sealed or-secured together in airtight manner. It is obvious that the package may be completely lifted from the mold by raising the bottom 18 still further. However, it will be understood as a matter of course that the package 5100 may be lifted from the mold in any suitable manner instead of providing a movable bottom. The cup 36 instead of beingcircular in cross-section may have any other desired shape. In the latter event the mold, the closing disc and the channeled i ring will be correspondingly shaped.

I claim:

1. Theprocess of packaging commodities which consists in providing a cup of resilient sheet material, filling said cup with the commodity, placing a disc of resilient sheet material on the top of said cup, and crimping a ring ofmalleable material upon the juxtaposed edges of said cup and, disc to form an airtight seal therefor.

-2. The process of packaging commodities which 0,15 consists in providing a cup of resilient sheet material, folding the edge of said cup outwardly, filling said cup with the commodity, placing a disc of resilient sheet material on top of said cup, folding the edge of said disc over the folded edge ,of said cup, and crimping a ring of malleable material upon said folded edges to form an airtight seal therefor. Y

3. The process of packaging commodities which consists in shaping a disc of resilient sheet material in a mold to form a fluted cup, folding the edge of said cup outwardly, filling said cup with the commodity, placing a disc of resilient sheet material on topof said cup, folding the edge of said disc over the folded edge ofsaid cup, and crimping a ring of malleable material upon said folded edges to form an airtight seal therefor.

4. The process of packaging commodities which consistsin applying pressure to a dis of resilient sheet material to force it into the form of a cup, holding the material in cup form in opposition to its tendency to return to'original form, turning the upper edge of said cup outwardly and downwardly, filling said cup with the commodity, placing a disc of resilient sheet material on the top of said cup, turning downwardly the periphery of said disc to bring it into juxtaposition with said turned edge, and crimpingea channel ring or malleable material upon said juxtaposed parts to form an airtight'seal therefor.

E. SPEAR. I 

